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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2018 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/14/dark-souls-limbo-mod/https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/14/dark-souls-limbo-mod/https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/14/dark-souls-limbo-mod/#comments

The Dark Souls series might not be the game for those folks who lack patience, but what you see up above is something just about anyone can appreciate. Reddit user CystisomaMagna was fooling around with the Reshade mod for the game and happened across some settings that turned the world of Lordran into a monochromatic, but still absolutely dangerous, wonderland. The user notes that the Limbo-esque modification isn't just for show, and that it's even possible to keep the game's HUD intact with it active. It might not get you soft-banned, either. Wanna know how to activate it on your system? That's what the videos embedded below are for.

What, did you think From Software would take a break from releasing its punishing Souls games just because Bloodborne is out the door? Just the opposite. The studio has just teasedDark Souls III, the next title in its dark fantasy action series. There's not much to know beyond its early 2016 release date, but From's signature bleak landscapes are intact. There's also what looks to be a lava giant in the brief preview clip, so there will very likely be some epic battles ahead. And while it's safe to presume that DS3 will reach the Xbox One given its appearance at Microsoft's E3 event, it's not an exclusive -- the odds are that it's headed to the PlayStation 4 as well.

Update: Dark Souls III will indeed be released for Xbox One, PS4 and PC (via Steam).

When it comes to video games, more often than not audio gets the short shrift because, well, you can't see music in a screenshot. It's with that in mind that Red Bull (yes, that Red Bull) is putting together a documentary series about the scene surrounding classic Japanese video-game music called Diggin' in the Carts. The first episode focuses on the early days of the industry at Namco Bandai and Nintendo and features interviews with, among other luminaries, the first person in charge of game music for the Mario company, Hirozaku "Hip" Tanaka. Tanaka would go on to produce the iconic scores for Balloon Fight and Metroid, as well as design the sound chip for the first Game Boy. This premiere episode, embedded below, also showcases just how early soundtracks were composed. Spoiler: it involved more wave-forms and soldering than it did keyboards and drum machines. Interested in seeing more? A new clip is scheduled to release every week for the next month-and-a-half.

In celebration of 16 years of Tamagotchi, Namco Bandai has cooked up a new mobile app based on the brand's original virtual pet. Free to download from Google Play, this piece of '90s nostalgia has been re-imagined with new features like color, improved image resolution and Facebook sharing. Fancy new bells and whistles aside, you'll still need to feed and discipline your digital pet in order for it to thrive. So, if your device is running Android 2.3 or higher and you're ready to clean up some pixelated poop, head on over to the Play Store to download your household's newest edition.

Namco's TANK! TANK! TANK! may have a great title, but it looks like its sales trajectory wasn't too far off from its name. The bizarre Wii U tank battle game is going free-to-play as of this week's eShop update -- at least in Europe -- dividing the game into three pieces based on game modes, each costing £1.59 (€1.99). Should you choose to not pay Namco's light toll, you can play each of the game's modes for free three times per day -- that toll raises to £7.99 (€9.99) apiece after February 28th, so you may want to act quickly. The new pricing and division of the game goes into effect this Thursday, when the EU's Wii U eShop updates.

Truth be told, I was just a little too old to land in the middle of the Tamagotchi craze: My childhood was more full of Trapper Keepers and Game Boys than the famous Japanese virtual pets. But of course I saw them all over the place back in the '90s, as did everyone, really. And now the original toy is returning on iOS, as an upcoming app called Tamagotchi l.i.f.e.

Now, there already is an official Tamagotchi app on the App Store, but it's more of a remake, with newer graphics and a little more social spin. This new app is designed to look more like the old version, presumably, playing a little bit more off of the now-retro vibe of the old craze. It's supposed to be on the App Store soon, so we'll keep an eye out for it.

In the meantime, as you might imagine, there's no shortage of virtual pets apps on the App Store, including the very Tamagotchi-like Pet Monster, and even a virtual puppy. But Tamagotchi is the original creature you could kill by not feeding it enough -- hopefully Namco Bandai nails the feel of the old toy with this new app.

Whoever said low-cost phones have to miss out on the portable perks? Nokia's throwing an old school bone to buyers of its budget-minded Asha Touch line, linking up with Namco Bandai to make 22 classic hits available for download. The titles, accessible now on the Nokia Store in over 52 countries, range from $0.99 to $2.99 apiece and include oldies-but-goodies like SoulCalibur, Galaga and Ace Combat. So, if you take your pared-down, 3-inch devices with a dash of retro-gaming and feel like an on-the-go session with PAC-MAN is long overdue, then you'll be well sated by this partnership nod to coin-operated gaming's past. Official PR after the break.

While the world breathlessly awaits the Pac-Man reality TV show, the University of Essex held a programming competition starring that other yellow chomper. The Ms. Pac-Man vs. Ghost Team contest pitted 13 competitors from nine different countries against one another, to see who could create the most elusive Ms. Pac-Man or the wiliest ghost gang. The participants coded routines for the titular hero or Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue, with organizers then running the programs against one another on the Java-based playing field. The highest single-game score went to Atif, who racked up 69240 points versus DarkRodry's ghosts, while ghost team Legacy2TheReckoning held RandomMsPacMan to a mere 410 points. Another competition will take place in August, so limber up your coding fingers, Pac-Maniacs. In the meantime, strap on your headgear and cheer on your round yellow hero in the video below.
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aialtartificial intelligenceartificialintelligenceawesomecodinggamesgamingms. pac-manms. pac-man vs. ghost teamms.pac-manms.pac-manvs.ghostteamnamconamco bandainamco-bandainamcobandaipac manpac-manpacmanprogramminguniversity of essexuniversityofessexvideovideo gamesvideogamesTue, 14 Jun 2011 19:20:00 -040021|19966924https://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/08/namco-bandai-sale-over-the-weekend/https://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/08/namco-bandai-sale-over-the-weekend/https://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/08/namco-bandai-sale-over-the-weekend/#comments

It's officially the weekend, which means you've got two choices: one, mimic iTr3vor and toss up a YouTube video of yourself dancing in an Apple Store, or two, blow your own mind with the magic of HTML5. In between hour-long Pica-Pic sessions, we'd recommend killing time in The World's Biggest Pac-Man game, which can be "played for fun" or linked to your Facebook account for those who savvy statistics. We'd bother telling you more, but we're fairly sure you're already firmly occupied with the source link. You're welcome. Or, we're sorry.
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altawesomegaminghtmlhtml5internetnamco bandainamcobandaionlinepac manpac-manpacmansoap interactivesoapinteractivewebsiteSat, 16 Apr 2011 02:23:00 -040021|19914936https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/17/pac-man-reality-tv-show-coming-and-not-a-moment-too-soon/https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/17/pac-man-reality-tv-show-coming-and-not-a-moment-too-soon/https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/17/pac-man-reality-tv-show-coming-and-not-a-moment-too-soon/#comments

Not since Hollywood Reporter told us about a possible Asteroids bio-pic have we been excited about a film or TV show: Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Merv Griffin Entertainment has hammered out a deal with Namco Bandai to develop a reality TV show based on Pac-Man. Envisioned by Merv Griffin Entertainment's president of TV Roy Bank as something "big" and "crazy" like Wipeout or Fear Factor, the company wants "to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world's biggest game of tag to television." If this doesn't sound like the definition of a mid-season replacement, we don't know what is.

Firemint and Infinite Interactive surprised us all the other day with the news that the one company was buying the other, but Firemint's Rob Murray and Infinite's Steve Fawkner weren't surprised themselves. "We've actually been talking about this for years, going back to 2006," Murray told TUAW today.

Fawkner actually showed Murray a prototype of his company's Puzzle Quest game back in the day, and that reportedly encouraged Murray to start a game of his own that eventually became Flight Control, which itself spawned the Firemint company. "It's always been in the back of our minds, sometimes we've talked about it. It's only now that we've been able to make it possible."

So the first question is: why now? It turns out that the two companies may have more in common than we think. "The studios have evolved with similar kinds of ideas and similar kinds of things," says Fawkner. "We've wanted to get into digital distribution for a long time, and Rob's already headed down that path, so it really made sense to go ahead and bring the studios together and go along that path together."

Happy Halloween weekend! This is my favorite holiday of the year, not only because it's a fun time for parties during my favorite season, but also because it seems to be an excellent time for developers to put a little something special into their apps -- like put them on sale. There are quite a few sales hitting the App Store this weekend -- Sega has some of their titles on sale again (including Ecco the Dolphin and the great Shining Force), and Namco Bandai is doing the same. You can pick up Bit.Trip Beat and the original Pac Man game for just a buck each, among a few other good deals.

All treats, no tricks on this Halloween weekend. There will probably be a few more sales announced before the weekend ends -- we'll try to keep an eye out for them, and let you know when we see them. Want even more quick app sale announcements? Watch our Twitter feed -- we'll often post quick free app and sale app notices there.
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dealseagameshalloweeniosipadiphonenamco bandainamcobandaiplants vs zombiesplantsvszombiespopcapsalesnoodtwitterwolfenstein rpgwolfensteinrpgFri, 29 Oct 2010 22:30:00 -040016|19695334https://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/easy-piano-title-lets-nintendo-ds-lite-users-tickle-the-ivory/https://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/easy-piano-title-lets-nintendo-ds-lite-users-tickle-the-ivory/https://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/easy-piano-title-lets-nintendo-ds-lite-users-tickle-the-ivory/#comments

We know that DSi of yours is all the rage, but you did hang on to that DS / DS Lite, didn't you? Phew. Starting this November in Europe and other PAL regions, you'll have a remarkably good excuse to bust that unit back out, as this new peripheral looks to require that all-but-forgotten GBA slot. At any rate, the title (which goes by Easy Piano in case you glossed over the headline) will allow players to bang out masterpieces such as Bittersweet Symphony, Every Breath You Take and Pachelbel's Canon on the 8-note, full-octave keyboard accessory. All told, 40 songs will be made available, and there's even a "creation mode" that enables owners to record up to four 3-minute-long jams. Now, if only we had a North American price and release date to pencil in, we'd be all set.

Got a knack for fighting titles? Have a particular fondness for Tekken? If so, you definitely shouldn't be playing with a stock controller, and that's exactly why Hori has crafted the beauty you're inevitably peering at above. The stick, which will ship as part of a Tekken 6 Wireless Fight Stick Bundle bundle, will be made available soon for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (shown after the break), and according to our pals over at Joystiq, it'll be on sale at a variety of respected retailers for $150. Said MSRP also includes a collectible art book and a pinch of pride, which totally justifies the somewhat steep asking price. Right? Right.
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bandaicontrollergaminghorijoysticknamconamco bandainamco bandai gamesnamcobandainamcobandaigamesperipheralsplaystation 3playstation3ps3tekkentekken 6tekken6video gamesvideogamesxbox 360xbox360Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:42:00 -040021|19075306https://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/02/bottlerocket-confirms-work-on-splatterhouse/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/02/bottlerocket-confirms-work-on-splatterhouse/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/02/bottlerocket-confirms-work-on-splatterhouse/#comments

A BottleRocket representative has confirmed an earlier report suggesting that members of the former Splatterhouse developer's team had been brought on by Namco Bandai to help finish the job. "Yes, that is true," commented the rep, who added the while the studio couldn't talk about how many employees had accepted Namco's offer, "It is my understanding that Namco only offered contracts, not full-time employment."

BottleRocket was forcibly removed from developing Splatterhouse by Namco last February over an unspecified "performance issue", with the re-imagining instead rumored to now be in the hands of the team responsible for Afro Samurai.
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bottlerocketbottlerocket-entertainmentnamconamco-bandainamcobandaisplatterhouseSat, 02 May 2009 17:30:00 -040011|1534567https://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/rumor-namco-takes-splatterhouse-from-bottlerocket/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/rumor-namco-takes-splatterhouse-from-bottlerocket/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/rumor-namco-takes-splatterhouse-from-bottlerocket/#comments

Namco Bandai has reportedly swiped the hockey mask out from under Splatterhousedeveloper BottleRocket Entertainment, giving the nearly-finished project to the publisher's internal Afro Samurai team instead. Sources close to the company say that Namco officials reclaimed all dev kits and Splatterhouse assets from BottleRocket last Friday, according to Kotaku, apparently leaving the California dev with nothing else to work on besides cleaning out its desks.

If true, it's unclear why Namco would wait so long to pull the project from BottleRocket, with the gory PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 action title set to go gold sometime in March. We've reached out to both Namco Bandai and BottleRocket for further comment, and will update once we hear more.

Update: We've heard back from both developer BottleRocket and publisher Namco Bandai – read their responses here. If you know anything about the specifics of this most unfortunate situation, be sure to let us know!
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actionafro-samuraibottlerocketnamconamco-bandainamcobandairumorsplatterhouseMon, 09 Feb 2009 08:30:00 -050011|1454266https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/17/splatterhouse-to-focus-on-gore-for-a-very-messy-good-time/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/17/splatterhouse-to-focus-on-gore-for-a-very-messy-good-time/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/17/splatterhouse-to-focus-on-gore-for-a-very-messy-good-time/#comments

1UP has pummeled new details out of Namco Bandai and The Mark of Kri devs at BottleRocket concerning the upcoming Splatterhouseremake, which will bloody up the Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime next year. Among the finer points spilled include a return of many of the series' weapons, including the 2-by-4 and meat cleaver, while Rick's arsenal has been expanded to include multiple weapon classes and "a few surprises."

Speaking of the original, while Namco believes the source material's graphics are "best left to nostalgia," the team notes that they have tried to remain faithful to the series' 80s horror movie vibe. Even so, the devs admit that gore is what the game "is going to be all about," promising that players will have "a very messy good time." It's amazing what you can do with that little 'M' on the box. Still, we wonder if the title will come with a disclaimer warning kids that inevitably get hold of Spatterhouse that lumber is absolutely not to be used in this manner.
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actionbottlerocketmicrosoft xbox 360namconamco-bandainamcobandaips3sony playstation 3splatterhousexbox-360Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:55:00 -050011|1404756https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/tekken-6-punching-ps3-xbox-360-in-fall-09/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/tekken-6-punching-ps3-xbox-360-in-fall-09/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/tekken-6-punching-ps3-xbox-360-in-fall-09/#comments

Tekken 6, the latest in Namco Bandai's seminal fighting series, will be delivering a body blow to consoles next fall. Oh wait, you say, we already knew that. True, Microsoft confirmed last October that in Fall 2009 Feng Wei, Devil Jin and the rest would strike the Xbox 360 across the face. In addition, CVG reports that the game will get an equal bout on the PlayStation 3 at the same time.

The announcement was made during a recent event put on by Atari, which will publish the title in Europe on both platforms, adding yet another marquee feather in the once-struggling company's hat. Next year is shaping up to be a memorable one for fighting game fans with Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 going toe-to-toe. So tell us, where do you place your bets?
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atarifightingmicrosoft xbox 360namconamco-bandainamcobandaips3sony playstation 3tekkentekken-6xbox-360Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:30:00 -050011|1389914https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/national-geographic-gets-into-gaming/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/national-geographic-gets-into-gaming/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/national-geographic-gets-into-gaming/#comments

Taking a break from merely educating the world about bees with tiny radios and environmental dangers, National Geographic has announced that it is getting into the video game biz. The educational institution has formed a new game division shockingly called National Geographic Games, which will be focused on delivering educational titles across all platforms, including PCs, consoles and handhelds.

Some early fruits of this venture have already fallen from the tree, including Herod's Lost Tomb on the iPhone, as well as Namco Bandai'sNational Geographic: Panda for the DS. The division is also working with Sony on National Geographic: Africa, with future projects including Rain Forests and Greencity also in the works. The division describes each of these efforts as offering "entertainment with substance," though whether or not that will keep players from tuning out after they get bored of ogling topless natives remains to be seen.
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businesscasualculturedsiphonemobilenamconamco-bandainamcobandainational-geographicnational-geographic-gamesnational-geographic-pandanationalgeographicnggnintendo dsnintendo wiips3sonysony playstation 3wiiTue, 18 Nov 2008 18:45:00 -050011|1375858https://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/klonoa-wiimake-dreaming-of-japan-this-december/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/klonoa-wiimake-dreaming-of-japan-this-december/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/klonoa-wiimake-dreaming-of-japan-this-december/#comments

Namco's not-quite 3D platforming mascot, Klonoa, will soon waggle his way onto the Wii by way of a remake of his first PlayStation adventure, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. According to 1UP, the Wiimake will boast a "hefty graphical enhancement" over the original, while IGN adds that the title will also be getting difficulty tweaks as well.

Currently no US release has been announced, though our friends in Japan can look forward to controlling the 'Dream Traveler' on December 4 using just the Wii remote and two buttons as he ... wait, what is this game about again? Honestly it's been a decade since we played the thing. You could probably just tell us it's a racing title starring anthropomorphic vegetables and we'd be just as inclined to nod along and smile.
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actionklonoanamconamco-bandainamcobandainintendo wiiremakewiiWed, 01 Oct 2008 23:00:00 -040011|1330126https://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/22/we-cheer-track-list-revealed-features-30-high-energy-songs/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/22/we-cheer-track-list-revealed-features-30-high-energy-songs/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/22/we-cheer-track-list-revealed-features-30-high-energy-songs/#comments

Ready, ok! Hey, you waggle fans! Stand right up and clap your hands! Namco Bandai has sent along, the complete list of We Cheer songs!

There, that can get us motivated to talk about anything. According to Namco, the over-cute cheer squad you see above will jump and shout to the tune of 30 "high-energy master tracks," including artists such as Boys Like Girls and Paramore, as you wave one or both Wii remotes through the air like "virtual pom-poms." Feel free to check out the game's entire 30 song catalog after the break as you wait for We Cheer to energize retail shelves with pep on September 30. And if this set list doesn't work for you, just remember to be aggressive. Be be aggressive.
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casualcheerleaderscheersnamconamco-bandainamcobandainintendo wiiwe-cheerwiiMon, 22 Sep 2008 19:40:00 -040011|1321032https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/soul-calibur-iv-burns-two-million-souls-worldwide/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/soul-calibur-iv-burns-two-million-souls-worldwide/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/soul-calibur-iv-burns-two-million-souls-worldwide/#comments

Still, and not to make an example out of you, Namco, but really all of this chest puffery over units shipped is a bit overblown. It's like bragging about how many pencils you threw at the ceiling, rather than what's really important, namely how many stuck. Then again, we imagine it's difficult to look up and count while you're ducking under the desk from falling profits.
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businessfightingmicrosoft xbox 360namconamco-bandainamcobandaips3sony playstation 3soul-calibursoul-calibur-ivsoulcalibursoulcaliburivxbox-360Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:00:00 -040011|1278307https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/tales-of-vesperia-special-edition-has-many-tales-to-tell/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/tales-of-vesperia-special-edition-has-many-tales-to-tell/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/tales-of-vesperia-special-edition-has-many-tales-to-tell/#comments

Tales fans likely don't need extra incentive to secure a pre-order for Tales of Vesperia; the only question that remains is if they're happy with the regular version or want to pony up the extra gald for something shinier. Besides being wrapped in metal and artwork by series character designer Kosuke Fujishima, the $69.99 Tales of Vesperia special edition will also include a soundtrack CD celebrating a decade of console role-playing.

While specifics haven't been revealed, Namco Bandai notes that of the 25 songs included on the disc, a hefty 14 will be pulled from Vesperia, with the remainder coming from Tales of Symphonia (4), Tales of the Abyss (3), Tales of Phantasia (2) and Tales of Destiny (2). However, as much as we enjoy our ears, this limited offering is a step back from the Big Daddies and cat helmets we're used to, though we doubt that will stop fans from switching their pre-orders over in the run up to the game's August 26 release.

Fighting fans hoping for a pre-launch lightsaber throw down will wait until Soul Calibur IVcuts into retail shelves later this month, as Namco Bandai informs us that a demo for the game won't be available until after the game is released.

According to reps manning the company's E3 room, the devs are currently putting all of their effort towards getting the game ready for its release for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on July 29. As for what and when exactly we can expect from the demo when it's finally released, Namco Bandai wouldn't say, teasing only that it'll be available sometime "down the road."
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demoe3fightingmicrosoft xbox 360namconamco-bandainamcobandaips3sony playstation 3soul-calibursoul-calibur-ivsoulcalibursoulcaliburivxbox-360Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:45:00 -040011|1258714